Listen to the NYT - Health Care Reform

The New York Times: Reports on the problems that the liberal House leadership will have in getting Health Care Reform through the House of Representatives, the NYT states the following on the voting blocks that are needed, " abortion opponents and fiscal conservatives....." As the article notes it comes down to basic politics, the article states the following, " politicians do not want to be martyrs. They want to hold onto their seats. ". Thus as noted many times in this blog it comes down to the simple fact, do Blue Dog Democrats want to be re-elected back to their seats in Washington D.C. It seems that President Obama is willing to throw the Democratic Party under the bus for his obsession. This is when political reality meets rhetoric, lets see what the Blue Dogs do, political life or cold lonely defeat while Obama flies above them on Air Force One.

One Term Obama ?

The Sunday Times: Reports how President Obama's obsessive search for health care reform could make him a one term President. As noted on this blog many times President Obama will either not run in 2012 or will face a massive defeat due to his failure to understand the American voter, they voter wants jobs not some far left liberal agenda, thus if President Obama wants to be a one term bad President let him take that route, but Blue Dog democrats in the House should tell the Oval to get lost, Obama has three years to come back, if the House approves the Senate bill they will have six months before the Mid Term Elections, with having to defend tax hikes and forcing Americans to buy insurance, good luck with that defence Blue Dog Democrat.

Tony Blair and Iraq

Guardian: Reports how the then UK PM Tony Blair came close to throwing in the towel in the first few months after the Iraq War. In the end Tony Blair came through his black dog days as Winston Churchill once called his dark mood days, the real negative of the Iraq War for Tony Blair is not the War itself; this blogger supporter the War; its what came afterwards, the collapse of civic order in Iraq and the resulting deaths, it took in till 2007 to get Iraq back on its feet, its those deaths that are on the hands of Tony Blair and Bush 43. Even Bush 43 saw the light and placed a massive surge in Iraq, this turned the nightmare of Iraq around but by then Tony Blair was out, to be replaced by Gordon Brown. Thus Tony Blair will be judged by history on his action in Iraq and his allowing Gordon Brown to be his successor, this makes Eden look good after Suez.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the latest soldier to die in Afghanistan, the soldier was " Sergeant Paul Fox from 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to the Brigade Reconnaissance Force ". Our thoughts are with the family of Sergeant Fox.

Open Target ? - Iran Nuclear Fuel

The New York Times: Reports on the move by Iran to places its nuclear fuel in the open, the article states the following, " It was as if.....a bulls-eye had been painted on it. " Lets look at the internal political problems in Iran, the Tehran Regime has major unrest on the streets, the economy is in the toilet due to UN sanctions, and on the external front the UN could place tougher sanctions on Iran. The threat that Iran will go nuclear is a constant worry to Israel, thus they have planes ready to attack Iran should Iran about to go nuclear or a target comes in to view, as Israel has shown with its recent hit job it will take action in the name of its security, thus this move by Iran has to be seen as having many angles. The Western Intelligence community cant be sure how much nuclear fuel Iran has, how about all those secret sites that the CIA or MI6 haven't found yet, thus this move by Iran could be smoke screen, get Israel to hit this open target while Iran builds up its secret reserve while the West thinks it has been prevented from going nuclear. An Israeli hit would make the regime safe in Iran, the opposition would fold, and Iran could move to form an public alliance with North Korea, think of these two evil regimes sharing nuclear information, would keep POTUS up well past 3am. Of course there is always the accident theory, Iran could create a accident, say that its nuclear fuel has gone and bluff the UN. This is risky on the other hand, the CIA and Mossad with its modern technology could smell a fake accident, thus a motive but one this blog does not count, as stated Iran will be the major Foreign Policy problem for President Obama.

Obama's Approval DOWN to 44%

Rasmussen Reports: The latest daily tracking poll has President Obama's approval ratings down to 44%, while those likely voters that disapprove of the job performance of the President is at 55%. There comes a point when a politician is finished, Obama is close to that point, if the economy is does not recover or there is another terror attack Obama will lose big in 2012. The biggest political mistake of the Obama Administration was to stress health care reform, the second biggest mistake of Oval was to allow the liberal leadership in Congress develop the package, the third biggest mistake of the Oval and one that Obama can change it hire someone he cant fire, knows Obama well, a friend we all have who knows the skeletons in the cupboard and will speak truth to power. In less Obama finds a way to throw health care reform over the cliff the plan will take the Democratic Party over the cliff, they will lose the House and Senate in 2010 and the White House in 2012.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the soldier killed last Thursday, the soldier was " Rifleman Kinggett, A Company, 4th Battalion The Rifles, part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group ". Our thoughts are with the family of Rifleman Kinggett. This month has been bloody in Afghanistan, the UK has lost 15 of its Armed Forces Personnel in operational theatre, in 2009 the UK lost 6 of its Armed Forces Personnel this month, and 2009 was the most costly in combat losses since 2001, lets hope 2010 is not worse than 2009.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the RAF combat casualty of last Wednesday, " Senior Aircraftman Luke Southgate, II Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment, part of the Kandahar Airfield Defence Force ". Our thoughts are with the family of Senior Aircraftman Southgate.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British soldier was killed today in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to the Brigade Reconnaissance Force ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 266 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 233 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents.

End Run - Health Care Reform

Politico: Reports that after the TV stunt of today the Democrats are going to use the 51 rule in the Senate to get Health Care Reform passed. The meeting is still going on and the Democrats have confirmed that they are going to do an end run around the political system, the Democrats are tone deaf when it comes to politics, the Mass vote was a rejection of their ideas and they still don't get that fact, its the arrogance of power, well see shall see how Obama feels when he loses the House and even the Senate, and he faces the prospect of losing big in 2012. President Obama might find that a one term bad President is nothing to look forward too, Jimmy Carter does not play well with others, thus Obama might find that he is alone in the political wilderness after 2012. That would be ironic but fun, that is why Democracy is fun folks.

Health Care Reform TV Stunt - Live Blog

Guardian: Has a live blog on the health care summit at Blair House, the Democrats vs Republicans. Have to be honest folks, the Summit is a TV stunt, the Democrats are going to use the 51 vote rule in the Senate, thus this is just PR for Obama. If I was going to watch a TV stunt would watch Big Brother, X-Factor or Dancing on Ice. If the Democrats really cared about the Earth getting hot they would just push on with their plan to force through this dreadful health care plan, it would prevent a lot of hot AIR in Washington D.C.

Plan H - Health Care Reform

WSJ: Reports that the Obama White House has created a smaller version of health care reform, that would cover less of the population should the major health care reform bill fail on the Hill. This is Plan H if the Oval cant get the votes today from Democrats to pass health care reform, the meet between Democrats and Republicans is a TV stunt, Obama is good on the TV, but when he comes to selling health care reform he acts like a second hand car salesman who is trying to hard, the plan is opposed by a majority of Americans, the Oval should be stressing jobs not health care reform, the blue dog democrats in the House face political suicide if they vote for the major over hall as wanted by the liberal leadership in the House and the Senate, thus this is Obama's final chance to sell his agenda. If that fails Obama should go for a small scale version, this small scale version should include the following, 1, If you have a pre existing condition you can not be barred cover, 2, if you are ill and the costs go up you cant be thrown off your cover, 3, the Doctor should decide what needs to be checked not Washington D.C. 4, no illegals to get cover with the exception of children up to 18, 5, protection for Doctors against phony law suits, 6, Americans should be allowed to buy their cover in any part of the USA, 7, Abortion should be paid for by the Government or a major part of the cost, 8, if your gay your partner should have the same rights as if married, 9, states should be allowed to import drugs from abroad, 10, a joint commission to review and have the power to reform the system.

Deaths in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports on the latest UK Armed Forces Deaths in Afghanistan, the MOD reports that on Wednesday a " airman from 2 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment " was killed and today a " soldier from A Company, 4th Battalion The Rifles, part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group " was killed. Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 265 of its Armed Forces Personnel, of that total it has lost 232 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. There will be more deaths, that is the history of Afghanistan.

The Obama Political Style - Health Care Reform

The New York Times: Reports on how President Obama deals with the actual way to get bills passed by Congress, the article states the following, ".....he has often succeeded by relying on Democratic leaders in Congress to do his bidding........ it is not clear....., consensus-building style will be enough. ". This shows the flaw in the Obama style, the leaders Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid are under the political control of the liberals in the House and Senate, its not them that Obama has to worry about it, its the blue dog democrats in the House and moderates in the Senate, they are not going to flush their political futures down the toilet to make Obama happy. Thus Obama can spend hours and days with the leadership but if the boat; health care reform; has a massive hole due to the lack of votes it does not matter. Thus if blue dog democrats in the House see Obama as a voter loser in their districts they will flush health care reform down the toilet, and it will not matter how good Obama is at rhetoric, this is about the real world of politics, not a President who reads his own press statements.

Bush 45 ?

The Hill: Reports that the former Governor of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush has waded in to Senate fight to support the Conservative Candidate. Are we starting to see a step in the process that could see another Bush Presidency. Its not that foolish folks, Jeb Bush was always the golden son of Bush 41, it was because he lost a run for Governor that Bush 43 became the star of the Bush Dynasty. Lets think down the road folks, lets postulate that President Obama turns in to Jimmy Carter, the economy is in a mess and the USA is seen as weak on the world stage, the two things that Jeb Bush would have going for him would be the Bush name, Bush 41 as a father and Bush 43 as a brother, there would be the expectation that Jeb Bush would be strong on Foreign Affairs and is seen as smarter than Bush 43. Thus this move on the economic side to show that he is a Conservative on the domestic agenda. Thus don't be surprised folks to see Jeb Bush as President 2012.

Israel NO!

Guardian: Reports that the fraudulent passports of six UK subjects have been added to previous six in the connection of termination of a terrorist in Dubai. The UK has to come down hard on Israel for the stealing the identity of UK Subjects for a hit job, these subjects are now at risk for action planned and executed by the Israeli Mossad. The UK Government should give a firm warning to Israel and give all the help that is requested by these passport holders. As stated many times, even boredom level, this blog supports Israel but not at the cost of UK Subjects or UK interests, Israel YELLOW card time.

The Path to Health Care Reform

WSJ: Reports on the political problems faced by the Democratic Leadership in getting the House and Senate to pass health care reform. This is the time for Blue Dog Democrats in the House to walk away from the leadership, the House leadership are from safe liberal districts, while moderate and blue dog Democrats come form Republican or moderate states, if they vote for the Obama health care plan they will be out of office in the Mid Term Congressional Elections. In the Senate moderate Senators have a choice, if they support the nuclear option of 51 votes to get health care reform through they could be also out in November. The question the House Senate must ask is do the trust Obama to be a vote winner in eight months down the line, lets see how did the Mass vote go, yes a Republican took the Kennedy Seat, in liberal Mass of all places, yes these Senators will be looking at the end of their political careers if they vote for this plan, some of them have Presidential plans, thus time to walk away from Obama.

Dollhouse

The 2nd and last season of Dollhouse last night. It was nice that the series could resolve all the lose ends of the series, also a great twist, lets say it comes close to the 24 Year 1 twist and Mr York. Cant wait for the box set with commentary, it was an excellent series.

Rahm Emanuel ATTACKING Obama ?

The Daily Beast: Reports on a recent article in the Washington Post that paints a picture of a heroic Chief of Staff in the shape of Mr Emanuel and a political idiot President in the shape of President Obama. The background to the article is the fact that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is not a good manager or to be more precise he does not know how to manage President Obama. One should note that Mr Emanuel is a political animal in his own right, he was in Congress before taking the the job at the White House. It seems from the article that President Obama is not listening to the advice of his Chief of Staff, this shows a failure to manage a President. At the end of the day every President needs someone who can take them by the labels and speak truth to power. It seems from the article that the Kitchen Cabinet of Obama think he is the second coming, he is not, he no Ronald Reagan. All the charisma but none of the political instinct that is develop over time, not a couple of years in the US Senate. Even Ronald Reagan had Nancy Reagan who could tell him when he was well of the reservation as to be on the moon. Thus it can be postulated that Mr Emanuel will not be Chief of Staff in the long term, Presidents at the end of the day don't like to be pictured as idiots and the Washington Post article seems to stress that Obama is tone deaf and is just reading his own press statements as if they are the bible. Thus who will be the next Obama Chief of Staff.

64% UK Population - NO Win in Afghanistan

BBC News: Reports that 64% of the UK population does not think the UK can win in Afghanistan. This is Vietnam all over again, if the people at home don't think you can win its time to come home, at the end of the day the UK will leave Afghanistan, its condition will be as it is now, the power of the the Afghan Government centred in major towns while the Taliban control the rest of the country. The one place Western troops cant win is Afghanistan, the UK has been down this road to many times, at the end of the day we will find a a leader who can control Afghanistan and leave the West alone, thus he can be democratic or a tyrant we will not care, as long as we can leave with the fig leaf of respect and honour. The question is how many heroic Armed Forces Personnel we will lose in the bloody place. That is the sad truth of Afghanistan.

Playing Games - Iran

The New York Times: Reports on the stalling strategy of Iran, the article states the following on Iran's response to the UN's IAEA, " Tehran’s reply was couched in terms the United States and its allies have already dismissed, according to Iranian accounts and diplomats. ". Thus folks we are in a holding pattern, Iran will play the clock out in till it gets the bomb, the Obama Administration will press for tough sanctions from the UN, while China goes at a slow place. Lets be honest folks it really depends how far Iran has got with the bomb, if its years away then the West can play this game but if Iran is a lot closer to the bomb then that is very different case. When it comes to intelligence on Iran's nuclear development I would trust the Mossad not the the CIA or MI6, at the end of the day Israel will have to decide what its in its national security interest, if Iran is close to getting the bomb then Israel will have to act, the question President Obama has to ask, is it better for the region for Israel to attack or Iran or the USA. At the end of the day if there has to be an attack on Iran it would be better if it was the USA. The Tehran Regime would know that if it goes overboard the USA would wipe Iran from the face of the earth, thus Tehran would react but at a lower scale, more terrorists attacks in Iraq, more support for the terrorists in the region, for them to attack Israel. It can be postulated that Iran would not attack the USA due to the above or allow major operations against the USA, as stated the USA would take out Iran. In till then folks a time for games and tedious game playing, before the balloon goes up.

True Blood

Lets face it folks, we all need a break from the politics and wars, even this political geek. Thus have just finished the first season of True Blood, bloody great, no pun!! In a way its a grown up version of Buffy, but I think they have found a female Spike, lets hope. If you like good drama and are over 18 get the box set, if not watch Buffy. Right back to Politics and Wars.

Obama's Health Care Plan

Fox News: Reports on the just released White House health care reform plan, in essence it will cost one trillion dollars, no public option, it will force Americans to buy insurance, those with existing conditions can not be barred from cover and no cap on cover if someone is ill. There will be tax hikes to pay for this plan. The problem with the plan folks is that it will cost the Democrats the Hill in the Mid Term Elections and Obama will be a one term President. Think about this folks, the USA is in a major recession and Obama wants to spend a one trillion dollars on health care, not jobs, the American voter has sent a clear message via the recent state elections, what part of the name Scott Brown didn't Obama get, this plan shows a tin ear by a out of touch President and White House. The Republicans should force Obama to spend all his political capitol to push this through, if Democrats use the 51 vote strategy of the Senate the Republicans should block all Obama's Agenda on the Hill. If Blue Dog Democrats in House and moderate Democrats in the Senate pass this plan they deserve their political fate, the Obama White House thinks the USA is the UK or France, its not, its the New World, that the part the Chicago Mob in the White House cant or wont see, and that kind of political failure is worth of contempt of the first order, they had a chance to bring the USA together but they have further divided the USA. That is a contempt of the political system and the voter.

Terror Flights - Poland

Guardian: Reports on the role of Poland in Bush Era rendition plane flights in Poland. It should be noted that the Obama Administration is still using rendition flights, its to good a weapon against the terrorists who are a threat to the USA and the West. The problem with the left either in the USA or the UK is that they see terrorists as common criminals, sometimes one gets the impression that liberal and left wingers would rather give terrorists cups of tea and a biscuit than water board them to get active information out of them and thus save lives.

The Impeachment of President Bill Clinton

The New York Times: Reviews a new book on the Impeachment of President Bill Clinton, the article states the following, " Indeed, the most consequential result of both Clinton’s behavior and the Starr investigation was the election of George W. Bush. ". The liberal NYT of course has a liberal slant on the whole affair, no pun! But it can be argued that it is right about the election of Bush 43, from there we have 9/11, Afghanistan, for the first two one cant say Al Gore would have dealt with them any differently but one can postulate that Gore would not have gone in to Iraq.

Is PM Brown a BULLY ?

BBC News: Reports on the allegations that UK PM Gordon Brown has bullied his staff at 10 Downing Street. As a policy this blog does not post on these kind of issues but we have all faced the nasty bully from school to work or even on down time, out or in cyberspace. A bully has to be shown the red card, its shows a defect of character and in a PM, if true a disaster. If true and 10 Downing Street has denied the allegations the PM should admit it and get help, does not help him or the country, if he is abusive and a bully to staff what is he like on the diplomatic meetings when he does not get his way. The Tony Blair supporters have made this kind of allegation about PM Brown in the past, lets have an independent investigation and clear up this alleged abusive action by the UK PM, this is not Italy after all, this is the UK.

45% - Obama's Approval Rating

Rasmussen Reports: Reports on its latest daily tracking poll on President Obama, the poll of likely voters finds 45% approve of Obama's job performance, while 54% disapprove. The Obama White House forgot one thing, the American voter will support change as long as they have a job, the Obama White House allowed itself to be ruled by the liberal leadership on the Hill. It has been reported that President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid will use the nuclear option of 51 votes in the Senate to get health care through, if the Democratic Party is that foolish it will lose the House and the Senate in 2010 and Obama will find that after 2012 that he is warm up act for Jimmy Carter. On the 25 February there is a meet at Blair House between the Democrats, Republicans and the President, its a TV stunt, as stated above the White House and the Hill have agreed on a plan already, the arrogance of Obama and the rest of the leadership is beyond measure, the question is will blue dog Democrats and the Senate go along with this measure, lets see if the Democrats in the House and Senate have the guts to say NO to Obama,Pelosi and Reid.

Secretary Haig Dead

The New York Times: Reports on the death of former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, the 1st Secretary of State in the Reagan Administration. The article states the following on Haig, " But his ambition to be president was thinly veiled, and that was his undoing. ". When it comes to a star in the Administration it has to be the President, if a Secretary of State has other ideas then he or she is out, that is the fact of political life folks. At the end of the day Ronald Reagan was President, not Al Haig, its a lesson that Secretary Haig should have learned before taking the job.

Reconciliation Process - Health Care Reform

Politico: Reports that President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid are going to go the reconciliation process for health care reform after the TV stunt of the meeting between Democrats and Republicans at the White House. Have to admit Obama, Pelosi and Reid do recall the British Generals of World War One, who sent their men over the trenches in to a hail of bullets while they had a safe place behind the lines. If House and Senate members support the reconciliation process they will lose their Seats in the Mid Term Elections. This is why Obama, Pelosi and Reid are safe, Obama does not have to run again in till 2012, Pelosi is from a safe liberal district and Reid will lose his re-election bid, one can postulate that Reid will get a cushy job from Obama. Thus blue dog Democrats in the House and moderate Democrats in the Senate are you going to be cannon fodder for your liberal leadership. This is the time to think about your future or lack of one in the political field.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the second UK soldier to die on Thursday in Afghanistan, the soldier was " Lance Sergeant David "Davey" Walker, of 1st Battalion Scots Guards ". Our thoughts are with the family of Lance Sergeant Walker.

Russia, China and Iran Sanctions

The Times: Reports that Russia and China could support UN sanctions against Iran due to the recent report by the UN's IAEA that Iran might be working on a nuclear warhead for a missile. This is the real test for the Obama Administration in 201o, if President Obama can get tough sanctions on Iran then Israel might actually think that Obama and the UN is serious about taking action against Iran. The test will be in the sanction themselves, they have to hit the Regime in Tehran, they have to cripple the economy of Iran. If the sanctions are mild or water down to get total UN support then Israel will take action, the recent hit job by Israel should be waring to the UN, Israel at the end of the day will protect its right to exist, thus we shall see if Obama's new approach to diplomacy works, either he wins or loses. In this case the grade will not be on the curve, that simple folks, either Obama prevents a nuclear armed Iran or Israel will have to strike Iran.

Justice Department under Bush 43

Fox News: Reports that Bush 43 Era lawyers in the Bush Justice Department have been given the all clear by the Obama Justice Department for their advice after 9/11. It was foolish for President Obama to release the legal memos of the Bush 43 era lawyers, after 9/11 the the game changed, any Administration and that includes the present one would have done the same thing or face Impeachment or losing re-election. The liberal left wing of the Democratic Party will not be happy, but then they are appeasers of the worse kind. Those working for Obama should have one simple thought at the back of their minds, their opinions could come under critical attack if there is another 9/11. In that event the country wont care about the finer points of law, they will want action, if they see weakness by lawyers they will get the boot, and their professional chances later on for advancement could be affected, in other words never start a political war that can come back and bite you on the backside.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of one of the two soldiers killed on Thursday in Afghanistan, the soldier was " Lieutenant Douglas Dalzell of 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards ". Our thoughts are with the family of Lieutenant Dalzell.

Secret Nuclear Warhead - Iran

CNN News: Reports on a draft report by the UN's IAEA which states that Iran might be working on a secret nuclear warhead for a missile. Folks times just got interesting, forget Mossad hit jobs, this is the news that will take up the headlines for the next year. The time for Obama diplomacy is over, its time for action by the Obama Administration. If President Obama is another Jimmy Carter then Israel will have to take action, this is about the survival of the state of Israel, time for Israel to hit Iran.

Falklands War 11 ?

Telegraph: Reports on the threat to the Falklands Islands by Argentina due to the oil resources, also that the UK Government has placed the Royal Navy on alert to send in ships to protect UK interests in the area. That Argentina would even think of preventing access to ships on their way to the Falklands in UK waters shows how out of touch Argentina is at the moment. The UK is fighting in Afghanistan, the UK Government does not have time to play about with Argentina, any threat or action from Argentina should be meet with equal force. If Argentina shoots at a UK vessel, does not matter if civilian or military the UK should sink that vessel on sight. This is time for UK PM Gordon Brown to find his inner Lady Thatcher, in many respects the Falklands are more important than Afghanistan, they are UK Subjects, the have already been invaded once by Argentina, never again, we lost to many brave soldiers to show any weakness to Argentina, time to show the ruthless side of the British nature.

NATO 1 - Taliban 1 = Afghan Fgiht

The Washington Post: Reports on the slow progress of US Forces in Operation Together, the Marines are taking it slow in the town of Marja in Southern Afghanistan. One can understand the caution when it comes to fighting the Taliban, but at the end of the day the US Army does not have till the end of time to clear house. The Obama Administration does not need another attack on its national security management. The US Commanders on the ground should be given some leeway to run tactics but at the end of the day Obama needs a quick victory, we cant have weeks and months of this kind of slow progress. If local US Commanders wont move fast then POTUS must select those that will get the job done. Operation Together has military and political objectives, the political objective is some good news for the Obama White House, not the feeling that Afghanistan is turning to another Vietnam.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another UK soldier has died in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 1st Battalion Scots Guards, part of the 1 Grenadier Guards Battle Group". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 263 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 230 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents and other incidents. The Month of February is turning in to a very bloody month for our Armed Forces, lets hope the sacrifice of our brave soldiers is worth it at the end, this reporter has his doubts, when it comes to Afghanistan nothing is really worth the cost to the bereaved families and to the UK.

Reconciliation and Health Care Reform

Fox News: Reports that House and Senate leaders have agreed on a plan to get health care reform through using the reconciliation process, this means that Democrats just need 51 votes in the Senate. There is planned meeting between Republicans and Democrats at the White House to discuss the health care reform bill, the Republicans should only send one person up, an expert on the field to debate President Obama. Also the Republicans should stress the meeting is a sideshow, the Democrats are going to use the nuclear option of 51 votes in the Senate to get health care reform through, after the Democrats use this method the Republicans should run on one simple message, repeal the ObamaCare. The health care reform bill has two political bad sides for Democrats, tax hikes and the forcing Americans to buy health insurance. Thus Republicans should stress that Obama and the Democrats do not get the fact that the US voter dose not want what the are selling, with this message Republicans will take the House and Senate. Then the Obama domestic agenda will be dead on the Hill.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British soldier has been killed today in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " A soldier from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards who was serving as part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South) [formerly known as Battle Group (Babaji)] ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 262 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 229 in combat action and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. Thus far this month the UK has lost 11 soldiers, while in the same month last year the UK lost 6 soldiers. The Afghan War is getting more bloody by the year folks, at what rate of attraction will the War break the UK Army.

Tell the Truth Israel

Telegraph: An article that argues that Israel has to come clean about its recent hit of a terrorist in the Middle East, its not what Israel did but they abused the trust of an Ally, in this case the UK. As stated this blog is strong supporter of the State of Israel, supports its need to use any method to keep its state safe, but the UK is an Ally of Israel, the action of Mossad has placed UK subjects at risk. As also stated when it comes to the interests of the UK or Israel, this blog is on the UK side at all times. Thus if Israel is going around killing terrorists that is good, but keep your hands off the passports of UK subjects. If any of these Innocent UK subjects come to harm due to the actions of Israel, then the UK will have to have a look at its relationship with Israel. This was a strategic blunder by Israel, not the hit, but the use of UK passports. Next time use other EU nations. Lets remind the Mossad that the UK has MI6, the USA has the CIA, the UK might have to take action over Iran, we might return the favour and create a false flag that Israel is behind a hit or a sabotage job. If someone on the outside is thinking that what are they thinking at the MI6 and the CIA. The Israeli Government might need to throw someone under the bus for this mission, but that is the price of the Great Game Middle East style.

Obama SPIN on his Stimulus Bill

The New York Times: Reports on the latest attempt by President Obama to sell his perceived success with his economic package, the article states the following on the Obama spin, " has created or saved as many as two million new jobs, lowered taxes for 95 percent of Americans and spared the country a..........disastrous depression. ". At the start of the Obama Administration the spin was that if the Hill did not pass the Obama Economic Package the rate of those of work would go beyond 8%, it now 9.7%, it is expected that by the Mid Term Congressional Elections that the rate of those out of work will be between 10% and 11%. Thus by the empirical evidence the Obama Administration has failed, lets give it the benefit of doubt of money sent to districts that don't exist or jobs that don't exist, or numbers that are just wrong. In some states the rate of those out of work in nearly 20%, thus this is why Obama will lose House and is on the way to lose the Senate.

The Taliban = Cowards

BBC News: Reports that the Taliban of Afghanistan are using human shields to counter Operation Moshtarak. This is the act of cowards, not worthy of the rules of War. These terrorists when caught should be summary executed as the cowards/ terrorists they are, they have shown by this action that they don't care about the people of Afghanistan. On the other hand, UK troops should not allow human shields to prevent them defending themselves. In other words if the Taliban are using human shields and are a threat to the UK soldiers there is only one cause of action, take out the threat. The loss of innocent human life is sad but UK soldiers have to defend themselves and the mission. There can only be one winner.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the latest soldier to die in Afghanistan, the soldier was " Sapper Guy Mellors from 36 Engineer Regiment, serving as part of the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force ". Our thoughts are with the family of Sapper Mellors.

Israel DON'T use UK Passports

The Times: Reports that an Israeli hit team used the stolen passports of UK Subjects to cover their tracks. This blog supports Israel, but there are limits, its not what they did, the state of Israel and its Intelligence service the Mossad have the duty and the right to protect Israel, that is not the question, it is when they use methods that affect UK interests or subjects. What if an innocent UK Subject takes the fall for an operation done by Israel. Thus next time Israel pick on France or an other EU country, hands off UK subjects.

No 2nd Term for Obama ?

RCP Blog: Reports on a new poll by CNN News that has Obama losing his 2nd Term Bid. What is interesting is that poll has the same number for All Americans and those Registered to a Party. In both Polls 52% of voters say POTUS does not deserve a second term, while 44% support a second term for Obama. If your a political operator in the White House these kind of polls should make you very worried. On the one front you have Congressional Leadership that wants to ram health care reform through with the nuclear option of 51 votes in the US Senate, but on the other hand the US voter hates the plan. Then there is the Mid Term Congressional Elections in November, if the Republicans take the House and the Senate the Obama domestic agenda is dead on the Hill. Then you have a President in President Obama who has stated that he would rather be a a good one term President than a average two term President. The last problem is the most serious for the White House political team, if a President thinks that then he has read to many of his own press statements. The Obama White House needs someone you can speak truth to power, someone Obama cant throw under the bus, Ronald Reagan had Nancy Reagan, who does Obama have at his ear. The one issue that Obama needs to see go away is health care reform, but it seems that he is to weak to prevent a nuclear option by the Hill leadership, if the Hill passes their version of health care reform the Democrats will lose the House, Senate and Obama will lose the Oval in 2012.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the second British soldier killed on Sunday, the soldier was " Kingsman Sean Dawson from 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment " Our thoughts are with the family of Kingsman Dawson.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of one of the two soldiers killed on Sunday in Afghanistan, the soldier was " Rifleman Mark Marshall from 6th BATTALION, THE RIFLES, serving with 3 RIFLEs Battle Group ". Our thoughts are with the family of Rifleman Marshall.

The Senate in Play 2010

The Fix - Washington Post: Reports that with the retirement of Senator Bayh the Republicans have a chance of taking the US Senate. One has to ask do Democrats in the US Senate want to use the nuclear option of 51 votes to get health care reform through if this causes them to lose the Senate in 2010. That's the problem with the nuclear option for health care reform closer you get to the election, do Democrats want to defend tax hikes and forcing Americans to buy insurance, policy and politics are two different things, the policy might be right if your a LIBERAL but the politics could take you off the political cliff, do the Democrats want to hand the House and Senate over to the Republicans.

2010 Mid Term Elections

Fox News: Reports on the unexpected news that Senator Bayh of Indiana will not run for a third team in the US Senate. If Republicans play their cards well they have a chance of taking the House and the Senate. The one gift President Obama and the liberals leaders on the Hill could give to the Republicans is to use the nuclear option when it comes to health care reform, if the Democrats decide to push the health care reform bill through with just 51 Democratic votes in the Senate they will hand the Hill to the Republicans in 201o and the Oval in 2012. Lets hope the Democrats are that foolish, please be that foolish Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another British soldier has died today in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 36 Engineer Regiment ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 261 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 228 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents and other incidents. As stated many times there is no victory in Afghanistan, just how much pain the UK has to take in the loss of its Armed Forces Personnel and the money spent in the bloody place. At the end of the day Afghanistan can be a democracy or a dictatorship, this blog does not care, as long as it keeps the terrorists out and makes sure Afghanistan can not be used by Al Qaeda as a base. One can see a time when Afghanistan is seen as Korea, the forgotten War that no one really wants to talk about, its War that cant be won, just kept at a low point of violence, one has to ask are the deaths worth this kind of result, a long time after Afghanistan has gone from the news the families of the dead will have to live with the consequences of a War that can never have the glory that was the Falklands.

9/11 Trials

The New York Times: Reports on the tin year of the US Attorney General Eric Holder when it comes to the 9/11 terror trials, the article states the following, " Now Mr. Holder has switched from resisting what he had considered encroachment by White House political officials to seeking their guidance. ". The US Court System is not the place for KSM and other 9/11 terrorists, they should not get a dime to spout their hate speech, the Obama Administration needs to find a small dark cell and throw them in, end of subject, if the US Attorney General does not get that Obama needs to find his own RFK.

Military Dictatorship - Iran

Fox News: Reports on comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Iran is becoming a military dictatorship. As stated many times in this blog the Tehran Regime is just another totalitarian regime in the mold of the old USSR and Nazi Germany, as the New York Times of late reported the Regime is using Gestapo/KGB methods when it comes to those that dissent, there is that late night knock at the door and people are taken away, sometimes never to be seen again or left to rot in jail. The move by Secretary Clinton will place President Obama in a tight spot, he does not want to be Neville Chamberlain, he can not afford a pre World War Two Munich conference with Iran. Thus POTUS needs tough sanctions against Iran, but China wants the slow path or no sanctions. Thus as POTUS stated when he received his Nobel Peace Prize he keeps to himself the right to take independent action should the US come under threat, it would be ironic if Obama turns in to Bush 43.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports a British Soldier was shot and killed in Afghanistan on Sunday, the soldier was from the " 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2 LANCS) ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 260 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 227 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents and other incidents. So far this month alone the UK has lost 9 soldiers, in 2009 in the same month the UK lost 6 soldiers, one gets the feeling that 2010 will be more bloody than 2009 for UK forces, one has to ask how much more the UK Army can take before this bloody war cripples out forces world wide.

Cheney ATTACKS Obama Administration - Iraq

ABC News: Reports that former VP Dick Cheney is back in the political trenches, he was critical of the Obama take that Iraq success is down to their policies since they took office. The former VP is right, the turn around in Iraq is down to the Bush surge, if Bush 43 had take Democratic advice the country would now be in state of civil war or at war with Iran. If the sole success of the Obama Administration is Iraq what does that say about its polices when it comes to Afghanistan, Iran, the fight against Al Qaeda that takes in Pakistan. The one war that Obama didn't want to fight could be the war that he needs to keep his hand in, otherwise he will look like Jimmy Carter.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British soldier has been killed today in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 6 RIFLES, serving as part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 259 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 226 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. They will be missed by their families and the Country.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the soldier that was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, the soldier was "Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh, from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards ". Our thoughts are with the family of Lance Sergeant Greenhalgh.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British Soldier has been killed today in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 258 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 225 in combat operations, and 33 due to illness, accidents other incidents. My problem with NATO strategy in Afghanistan is the same problem that the US had in the Vietnam War with Viet Cong, the Taliban can throw their guns away and hide in plain sight, thus Operation Moshtarak might be in conventional military terms a success but that success can turn sour within a few weeks or months if the soldiers become targets for the insurgents. Lets be honest folks the Taliban/Al Qaeda can wait out President Obama, if the two Obama surges in Afghanistan don't work by 2011 the President will be a tight spot, if the withdraws troops the Afghanistan War will be seen as another Vietnam, in essence the Taliban have won, but if POTUS keeps soldiers in theatre he will lose the support of the liberal left wing of the Democratic Party. Thus not surprising that President Obama has started to look old beyond his years. That star of 2008 might find that the young have moved on to vote for the next American Idol. Politics is like sand, you have only audience for a while then they move on, after FDR there have only be two long lasting stars of the Presidency, that has been JFK and Reagan, will Obama be the next star or another Jimmy Carter.

Operation Moshtarak ( Together ) - Results

BBC News: Reports on the early success of Operation Moshtarak, from operational reports it seems that the Taliban have withdrawn from Marjah, thus a success for NATO. As noted in this blog the Taliban could withdraw and hide in plain sight, what should worry NATO is what comes afterwards, the Taliban had no chance in a direct one to one fight with NATO, but that is not the point with Afghanistan, just ask the USSR. The point is after the initial military assault will NATO face an increase in insurgent attacks and will it the be able to hold Marjah and other areas. Also will the Kabul Government gain the loyalty of these new areas under NATO control, will the local people feel some kind of loyalty to Kabul. The Taliban have a strategic decision to make, do they hold back and wait for the Obama surge troops to go home in 2011 and face the prospect that they cant win back the population or do they carry on with the their insurgent fight, either could option and they could lose. Lets hope they make bad choice.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the soldier killed on Thursday, the soldier was, " Lance Corporal Darren Hicks from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards ". Our thoughts are with the family of Lance Corporal Hicks.

Iran and the Bomb?

The Daily Mail: Reports on the statement by President Ahmadinejad that Iran is now a nuclear state, President Ahmadinejad also stated that Iran has enriched its uranium by 20%. The year long search by President Obama to have talks with Iran has failed, the question is what now?, either Obama takes action or Israel will take military action. The first step for the Oval is to get tough sanctions through the UN Security Council, but as posted China is saying NO. Thus the US and its Allies might have to take independent action, the question is will these sanctions work and will it have any effect on Iran. One can postulate that these sanctions will fail, then what, well it comes down to military power, that is the choice for Obama, either US or Israeli planes attacking Iran. What Oval cant have is Israel taking action, this could lead Iran attacking US forces in Iraq. This would open a new War for the Obama Administration, thus its better a US attack, as Iran would be told that any return action and the US will remove the Tehran Regime by what ever means. The US will not play around with Iran, it wont be the Iran - Iraq War, the US reaction would be fast hard and ruthless. Thus interesting few weeks ahead folks.

China vs USA

Fox News: Reports on China's refusal to back tough sanctions on Iran. In this case the Obama Administration has to be careful, China is the banker for the USA, the Obama Administration needs China to buy its debt. The US economy and the Obama Presidency needs China to keep the debt of the US and to buy more of that debt. The day China says NO and sells the debt at a loss to make the point could see the end of the Obama Presidency. Thus President Obama by his own spending has risked the national security of the United States, from his economic package to his push for health care reform has placed US in the hands of China. Of course China has vast economic interest with Iran thus does not want to lose its money in this economic climate, who can blame them, thus President Obama will find that he will have to take tough action without China and the UN. As noted in his Nobel speech President Obama stated the he kept the right to take independent action for the security of the USA. Thus a blocked UN Security Council and the lack of power to force to China could mean that Obama ends up being another Bush 43.

Tehran Today

The Times: Reports on the failure of the dissent movement today in Iran, on the anniversary of the 1979 Revolution the Tehran Regime owned the street, that ownership was through violence but they won. The Green movement has to decide does it want to win, it can only win by armed unrest, it has to take up arms, the Obama Administration should funnel arms to those in dissent in Iran. The CIA as it did in the 80s in Nicaragua should cause havoc to the economy of Iran, also the CIA should support a Government in Exile, fund it and make sure they have one aim, the destruction of the Tehran Regime. The day Iran gets the bomb the game changes, it will be like North Korea, the Obama Administration will have no choice but to talk under threat of blackmail, but the difference between Korea and Iran is Israel, Israel will not allow a nuclear armed Iran, thus that will leave two bad choices for Obama, either Israel takes action or the USA will have to attack Iran. That simple and brutal folks.

Reconciliation Process - Speaker Pelosi

RCP Blog: Reports that the liberal Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will use reconciliation process to get health care reform passed. The Republicans should start to pray that Speaker Pelosi is that foolish, the Republicans can then state that since the Democrats have used this parliamentary trick of 51 votes in the Senate they will block all the Obama Agenda. Then as the health care reform act has all the bad bits at the start, tax hikes and mandatory obligation that all Americans buy health care the Republicans should have one message for the Mid Term Elections, repeal the Obama/Pelosi Act. If the Democrats force this through they will lose the House and the Senate and Obama will not win re-election in 2012.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British soldier died today in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 257 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 224 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. The cost of the War in Afghanistan gets more bloody by the years, 2010 will be more bloody than 2009.

Liberals and Health Care Reform - Reconciliation

Politics Daily: Reports on the forthcoming meeting between President Obama and the Republicans on the Hill to discuss health care reform, the article states that Obama is playing poker, that he will show that he will discuss the House and Senate Bills, thus showing he will consider other ideas, in other words a strong poker hand but as is it will fail he will try to win by default, he will push the House to pass the Senate version of health care reform, in other words he will use the nuclear option of 51 votes in the Senate, the article states the following, “ This bluff is also filling time for Obama. Right now, parliamentarian experts for the House and Senate Democrats are attempting to figure out how this reconciliation strategy could work. ”. The Republicans will build an Altar to Obama if he is that daft to try to muscle the House to pass the health care reform, the Republicans can call the TV event a major con on the American people by the Washington Elite. As this is an election year the Republicans will run on a simple slogan, repeal the ObamaCare, the House will go Republican and the Senate could even go Republican. If Obama is that daft he deserves to lose big in 2012, he had the chance to be a post racial, post partisan President, he will have flunked that test. Thus my prediction that Obama will lose big in 2012 and might not even run, he could face a challenge from his right by Hillary Clinton. Thus Obama is no Reagan or JFK.

JAWS out for Rahm Emanuel

The Hill: Reports how Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has become the guy to blame for the failure of the Obama first year. Lets be honest folks its not the fault of Mr Emanuel, its the fault of President Obama, but the Democratic Party cant say that they have elected a political dud after just a year thus they have to have someone to attacks, thus Mr Emanuel is the perfect fall guy for Obama, the left don't like him as they see him as keeping President Obama from going more left wing; YES I DON'T GET THAT EITHER; also he was a close aide to Bill Clinton, thus that worries the left wing, they wanted a charismatic Walter Mondale with Tax hikes and health care reform. It can be argued that Mr Emanuel was leaking political blood in the water for some time, thus if health care reform fails the Obama team will need someone to blame, thus my argument of late that Mr Emanuel will find that he wants to run for Mayor of Chicago, thus a clear and clean with dignity exit from the White House. Mr Emanuel is a loser, and Obama throws them under the bus, just ask his former White House lawyer who had promised to close the Guantánamo Bay within a year and failed, he was out, it started with negative stories in the press and then he was out, lets see if Mr Emanuel can see the light and gets out before he is sacked.

Binyam Mohamed Case

Telegraph: Reports on the release of secret information by order of the UK Court of Appeal, the information concerns the case of Binyam Mohamed a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner. The information from our US Allies states that Mr Mohamed was tortured by the the definition of UK law. This Blog is calling for an Enabling Act to be passed by Parliament but also a Crown Statement to the effect that in future the PM acting as the Head of Government will use the powers of the Crown to set aside any such judgments. That also the PM under the Enabling Act can sack any Judge who thinks they know better than the UK Government acting on behalf of the Crown. The Judges should be reminded that they are there by the grace of the Crown, and that grace can be removed also their pensions. Haven't the UK Government heard of shredders.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the soldier killed on Monday, the soldier was " Warrant Officer Class 2 David Markland from 36 Engineer Regiment, part of the Counter-IED Task Force ". Our thoughts are with the family of Warrant Officer Markland.

Obama and SANCTIONS

It seems that President Obama has smelled the coffee when it comes to Iran; the President stated the following to the press on the move by Iran to enrich its uranium by 20% and the move to place sanctions on Iran, “ Well, it's moving along fairly quickly. I think that we have bent over backwards to say to the Islamic Republic of Iran that we are willing to have a constructive conversation about how they can align themselves with international norms and rules and reenter as full members of the international community. The most obvious attempt was when we gave them an offer that said we are going to provide the conversion of some of the low-enriched uranium that they already have into the isotopes that they need for their medical research and for hospitals that would serve up to a million Iranian citizens. They rejected it -- although one of the difficulties in dealing with Iran over the last several months is it's not always clear who's speaking on behalf of the government, and we get a lot of different, mixed signals. But what's clear is, is that they have not said yes to an agreement that Russia, China, Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States all said was a good deal, and that the director of the IAEA said was the right thing to do and that Iran should accept. That indicates to us that, despite their posturing that their nuclear power is only for civilian use, that they in fact continue to pursue a course that would lead to weaponization. And that is not acceptable to the international community, not just to the United States. So what we've said from the start was we're moving on dual tracks. If you want to accept the kinds of agreements with the international community that lead you down a path of being a member of good standing, then we welcome you….. And if not, then the next step is sanctions. They have made their choice so far, although the door is still open. And what we are going to be working on over the next several weeks is developing a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them how isolated they are from the international community as a whole. ” This is Obama’s last chance to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran, if Russia and China water down the UN sanctions the Government of Israel will have no choice but to attack Iran. The Obama Administration of late has been lot tougher on Iran, but is it tough enough for Israel, President Obama might want to accept a nuclear armed Iran but Israel and the neighbours of Iran do not want the threat. Also a policy of containment that worked in the Cold War could lead to other Middle Eastern countries also going nuclear, thus a nuclear armed Iran has to be prevented, if diplomacy fails then other options come in to play.
　

The Politics of 60 - US Senate

Fox News: Reports on the first nominee defeat for the Obama Administration, the Senate has rejected a Obama nominee that would deal with employment law. Thus the Obama Administration is now the seeing havoc the Republicans can cause by just winning one extra seat in the US Senate. The Republicans can now filibuster the Obama Agenda, and it does not hurt them on the political front, in fact it gets them votes. The Obama poll ratings have gone south, the more the President is in the low 40s the less power he has on the Hill. Thus POTUS might find that after November and the Mid Term Elections that he does not have a domestic agenda any more, in fact he had to move to the centre or centre right just to be relevant on the Hill. In pure political terms Obama needs to lose health care reform and hope it goes away by November, his nightmare is that the Democrats pass the Senate and Bill and he has to defend it for eight months. THAT'S A POLITICAL NIGHTMARE!.

Nazi Iran

The New York Times: Reports on the crack down by the Regime in Tehran when it comes to those that oppose its rule, the article states the following, " Reports have filtered out from across Iran of people being roused from their beds during midnight raids and disappearing into the penal system ". It seems that the Tehran Regime is following the practices of the Nazi Germany and the USSR, thus its time for the people to fight back and not just with words, if the people of Iran want to be free its time to take up arms, in less the people take action it will leave Israel will only one option, a conventional or nuclear strike on the the nuclear facilities of Iran.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the names of the two soldiers killed on Sunday in Afghanistan, the soldiers were " Corporal John Moore and Private Sean McDonald The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group ". Our thoughts are with the families of Corporal More and Private McDonald.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another UK soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 36 Engineer Regiment, part of the counter - IED Task Force ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 256 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 223 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. It can be postulated that 2010 will be a lot worse that 2009 for our forces out there in Afghanistan.

What POTUS really thinks about HEALTH CARE REFORM

Just sometimes politicians tell the truth, one can argue that below is really the view of President Obama, what ever his public statements Obama wants a second term, one term failures never get a good press, Ford, Carter, Bush 41, at the end of the day a President wants a second term, it can be argued that it can be a disaster in some respects, Nixon, Clinton are an examples of that Watergate and Impeachment, even the beloved Ronald Reagan had problems with Iran - Contra and Bush 43 had Iraq. It can be postulated that Obama wants the Congress to dump health care reform without his prints on the dispatch of the Bill. A couple of days ago President Obama stated the following, " So there's a lot of information out there that people understandably are concerned about. And that's why I think it's very important for us to have a methodical, open process over the next several weeks, and then let's go ahead and make a decision. And it may be that -- you know, if Congress decides -- if Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not. And that's how democracy works. There will be elections coming up and they'll be able to make a determination and register their concerns one way or the other during election time. All right?.." In other words please take this problem away from the Oval, if you pass this Bill Obama will have to sign it in to law, then defend the tax hikes and making people buy health care insurance for the next eight months. After the Mid Term Congressional Elections he will find that Republicans have taken over the House and Senate and will make it their business to repeal the very Act that Obama has just signed. The Obama Presidency would then be forced to move to the centre or even centre right, thus my prediction that Obama will not seek a second term or will lose big in 2012.

Iran and the World

The New York Times: Reports on world reaction to the push by Iran to enrich its uranium by 20%, the articles states the following, " Officials from the United States, France and Russia called Monday for stronger measures against Tehran........ " Thus you have three permanent members of the UN calling for action, thus one can also include the UK, China will not want to be left out in the cold, thus it wont veto any sanctions. Also another interesting statement by the Obama Administration and the EU, the White House press release states the following on the stolen election in Iran and the demands by the USA and the EU, " The United States and the European Union condemn the continuing human rights violations in Iran since the June 12 election. The large scale detentions and mass trials, the threatened execution of protestors, the intimidation of family members of those detained and the continuing denial to its citizens of the right to peaceful expression are contrary to human rights norms. Our concerns are based on our commitment to universal respect for human rights. We are particularly concerned by the potential for further violence and repression during the coming days, especially around the anniversary of the Islamic Republic's founding on 11 February. We call on the Government of Iran to live up to its international human rights obligations, to end its abuses against its own people, to hold accountable those who have committed the abuses and to release those who are exercising their rights. " Thus any chance that President Obama will talk to President President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad face to face is off the table, Obama does not want to be another Neville Chamberlain; not with his present poll plunge, he does not need another Munich pre - World War Two. The real question that has to be asked will any new UN sanction be tough enough to make Israel happy, if they are weak and Obama is seen as weak then Israel will have to act, Obama has to much on his hands in Afghanistan, Iraq, terrorist threat and the economy really to take Israel on should it hit Iran. In other words a weak Obama might be the best thing for Israel, Obama would have no choice but support Israel, a weak American President cant take on the Israeli lobby. Also a President who wants to win a second term can not afford to be another Jimmy Carter.

More SANCTIONS on IRAN

BBC News: Reports that the USA sees more sanctions as the only option left for its Iran policy. The Tehran Regime knows that it needs the bomb or the Regime will fall and the leaders will be hanging from the nearest lamp post, thus the reality of Iran's nuclear plans does not matter, it would not matter if it was only on paper, the threat of a nuclear armed Iran has to look real or the regime is done. In some respects this is like Iraq, but the difference is that Iran has gone down the nuclear road, and it has the money to buy nuclear material or information from North Korea or Pakistan. Thus the threat might be long term for the rest of the world and even the region but Iran needs the world to react as if it has the bomb, and Obama Administration has no choice, it has looked foolish with Iran throwing sand in to its face, thus the Oval has to move down the road as if Iran has the bomb, thus tough sanctions, the reality does not matter, both sides have to much to lose, the Tehran regime would fall and Obama cant be sure how far Tehran has gone with its nuclear plans. Its a game folks, but the problem is that Israel sees it as a threat to its existence, a nuclear armed Iran might be a threat thus Israel has no choice, that is the real world folks. Lets hope Mossad has better info than the rest of the world.

The Obama Playbook on Health Care Reform

Politico: Reports that President Obama is to hold a open meeting with Republicans and Democrats on health care reform, the meeting will be on TV. This is an interesting move by POTUS, if he agrees to some of the Republican demands that is a new bill, the Republicans are not going allow health care reform on some vague promise of another Bill later, so either Obama wants a real deal or this a TV event to make him look good. This move could hurt the Democratic leadership and their own health care reform bill, if POTUS agrees to some of the Republican demands, such as a cap on phony legal claims and allowing people to buy health care insurance across states lines this would go along way to get Republican support, but its a new Bill, Obama does not have the political time to start the process anew, lets recall its the Mid Term Congressional Elections in November, thus this must be a TV event, he will say soothing words and then push the Democrats to push the Bill through, if that is the plan the Republicans will be in control of Congress after November.

Deaths in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that two more UK soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, the soldiers were from the " The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 255 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 222 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. In 2009 in February the UK lost six of its soldiers, so far this month we have lost four soldiers, it feels like 2010 will be as bloody or even more so than 2009.

Iran and the BOMB

The New York Times: Reports on the news out of Iran that it will enrich its uranium by twenty percent, the article states the following on the reaction of Israel to the news, " affect Israel’s calculation about how far it is willing to allow Iran to get to a weapons capability....". If your in Israel you have to see how far President Obama can get the UN to act with tough sanctions, will China and Russia go along with the sanctions, if the UN is stuck will Obama take independent action to prevent Iran getting the bomb. If the above two don't work then Israel will have to confront that fact that it will have to take action, it cant be wrong on this or it could see the end of Israel by a nuclear strike from Iran. The question is that Israel has to ask will President Obama hit Iran if Israel is taken out, lets be honest, if your in Israel one would have doubts. Thus lets see what Obama says and does about Iran, the time for speeches is over, its the time for action from President Obama.

Debt in the USA

Newsweek: The liberal Newsweek attacks President Obama, the issue is American debt, the article attacks the lack of leadership in Washington D.C, the article states the following on Obama, " ......It is worth rewinding the videotape to examine how he has flirted with the truth, but then shied away from embracing it. " One has to only look at recent history, the British Empire came to an end due to the fact that after World War Two the UK was broke, thus after the British Empire passed the USA was the leader of the Western world. Its now that the USA find itself with active War in Afghanistan, a planned removal of troops from Iraq in 2011, and a debt that is being kept going by China. At the end of the day liberals will have to accept that there has to be cuts in domestic spending, not just mild cuts but deep cuts, those that retire will have to wait longer for their golden years, the USA will have to demand that its Western Allies that have been off the hook for Defence spending will have to spend their own money, the USA cant carry the load for much longer. Also there will have to be tax hikes but for a limited period, then deep tax cuts to get the economy moving. The USA is now on the same path as the UK, lets hope the landing is as smooth.

Obama at low 44% Approval

Rasmussen Reports: The latest Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll shows President Obama has a 44% approval rating among likely voters and a 56% negative rating. If an election was held tomorrow Obama would be moving back to Chicago, thus the question that has to be asked is can President Obama turn his Administration around, or is he so arrogant that he thinks that a speech will turn it all around, the State of the Union speech seems not to have done much, Obama has lost his magic, the voters now want results on jobs,jobs and jobs. If President Obama loses the 2012 election it will be down to the fact that he allowed Congress to write his health care bill and could not get it passed when the Democrats had control of the Hill. The election of a Republican, Scott Brown to take over the Senate seat of the late Edward Kennedy should have been a wake up call for Obama and his Oval team but the message has not gotten through the Obama arrogance, thus this is why this blog has predicted that President Obama will either not run in 2012 or could lose by 48/49 states and the Hill will be in the control of Republicans. It would be ironic if President Obama was to turn out to be the biggest loser in Presidential politics since Vice - President Mondale in 1984.

Enriching Uranium - Iran

BBC News: Reports that Iran will start to enrich its uranium by 20%, this is well higher than is needed for civic use within Iran. This will place further pressure on the Obama Administration, it has tried talks and has been rebuffed, it has been patient and is starting to look like Neville Chamberlain at Munich. The UN's IAEA made a fair offer that would allow for civic use of nuclear power within Iran, but Iran just played the system and told the UN to get lost. Either Obama acts with the UN or without the UN or Israel will have to look at its military options, its the real world folks.

No Health Care Reform - Obama

Yahoo News: Reports on President Obama's remarks that health care reform might be dead in the water. The Obama White House at the end of the day is a political operation, they need to keep the House and Senate in the 2010 Mid Term Elections, they don't need after the Mass vote to spend political capitol on defending a health care bill that has no support in the country. If the Democrats push the Bill through using the nuclear option of 51 votes in the Senate the Republicans can run on one slogan, repeal of the Obama Health Care Act, the Act is poison, all the benefits come later and the harsh stuff is up front, tax hikes and the obligation that Americans buy health insurance. The Oval does not want to defend that for eight months. Thus as stated before on this blog, health care reform is dead for this year, at its most political basic it is about keeping the Hill Democratic.

Operation MOSHTARAK ( Together ) - Afghanistan

MOD: Reports on the build up to Operation Moshtarak ( Together ) in Afghanistan. One can argue that its smart to put the fear of God in to the Taliban/Al Qaeda with the news of the operation, but on the other hand it gives them time to hide in plain sight, why fight a direct fight they cant win, better to hide and then come out when the surge is over in the area. When it comes to Afghanistan one can argue that nothing ever works, that's the point of Afghanistan.

Operation Together - Afghanistan

The Times: Reports on the latest military operation in Afghanistan, " Operation Together " will clear out the Taliban from Helmand province. The question has to be asked will the operation really clear the Taliban out of the area, or will the Taliban just hide their guns and go back and hide in plain sight. The military operation comes due to the surge by President Obama, the strategic question that has to be asked are the Taliban waiting the surge out, as Obama stated in his surge speech the operation has in till mid 2011 then the troops will start to come home. The risk for the Taliban is that if they just wait out the surge the Kabul Government could gain control of the whole country. Thus it will be interesting to see who is right when it comes to strategy, Obama or the Taliban.

The Left and Iran

Guardian: This article folks show why left wingers cant be trusted with national security, the article argues in essence that Iran is Iraq and there is no threat, that the left has to start to campaign to prevent another War in the Middle East, the article states the following, " If we are to avoid a replay of that catastrophe, pressure to prevent war with Iran will have to start now. ". That is the problem with left wingers and liberals at the end of the day you cant trust them to defend the national interest, even the Oval gets the fact that Iran is major threat to the region and the world. If you trust the Regime in Tehran I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you, the Regime is playing for time, even the French get that fact, why cant the elite media such as the New York Times and the Guardian understand the fact that you cant look at the present through the eyes of the past, this is a different case, and either Obama acts or Israel will act, its that simple and brutal folks, this is politics the Chicago way.

Mr Brown GOES to the SENATE

Fox News: Reports that Senator - Elect Scott Brown from Massachusetts will be sworn in today, this will give Republicans 41 votes, enough to block the Obama Agenda. The Senator should block those part of the Obama Agenda that is loathed by the voters, such as health care and higher taxes and support moves to cut the deficit otherwise the USA will go the way of Rome and the British Empire, in other words bankrupt at the end. But on social issues the Senator is a liberal thus can support some of the domestic agenda of the President. But Senator Brown should use the Obama model, this could be his step to the Presidency in 2012, thus Republicans in the Senate need his vote thus they will grant him a lot of leeway when it comes to different issues. Thus if Brown wants to be President he should use the US Senate as a stepping stone, the same way JFK and Obama used the Senate. One can only wonder how the late Senate Edward Kennedy would have thought if he had seen this event, his Senate Seat, the seat of JFK being taken by a Republican, a Republican that can block the Obama Agenda. Those Olympic Gods do like irony.

No Nuclear Option on Health Care Reform by Dems ?

The Hill: Reports that Senate Republicans could have found a way to block the Democrats using reconciliation as way to push through health care reform, they can offer amendments till hell freezes over. This would be the ultimate stand off between the Democrats and the Republicans in the Senate in an election year, the Republicans have the wind at their back, they have won a few major State elections and the issue has been health care reform, the question is can liberals in the Senate count on their fellow Democrats to back up them up, do the Democrats want to spend time on health care reform or jobs, if the Democrats want to keep control of Congress the issue has to be jobs, jobs,jobs. One gets the feeling that the Mass vote has really sent the White House and liberal leaders in Congress bonkers, they are like addictive gamblers, just one more bet, the problem is that is bet is always a loser. One can see moderate and conservative Democrats in the Senate making it clear to their leadership that its over, and that its time to move on from health care reform.

Health Care Reform in Parts - Speaker Pelosi

CNN: Reports that the House of Representatives will debate parts of the health care reform bill next week, the House will try to remove legal protections from the health industry, the move is seen as cutting costs. The question is will the Senate even take it up, the Senate really wants to move on to jobs, jobs, and jobs. The US Senate does not want to get dragged back in to the debate about health care reform. The problem with the House is that the leadership could push anything through but its dead in the Senate. It seems the Mass vote passed by the liberal leaders in Congress.

US Soldiers killed in Pakistan

BBC News: Reports on the first deaths of three US soldiers in Pakistan. This could be a new strategy by the Taliban of Pakistan, both the US and the Government of Pakistan want US presence in Pakistan to be very much under the radar, but this kind of incident if starts a trend could cause problems for the Obama Administration with its left wing and the Government in Islamabad could fall if the people of Pakistan think they have be invaded under the radar by the US. Thus Pakistan could blow up at any moment, this would be a disaster, an insurgent war in Afghanistan and Pakistan could strain the US and NATO to breaking point. Lets hope this does not start a trend folks.

Obama on his Agenda

The New York Times: Reports on President Obama's comments to Senate Democrats, the President stressed jobs should be the main priority, the article states the following, " While he implored Congress to press forward on health care legislation, he said initiatives to create jobs should also take priority. " This is why health care reform is dead folks, by the time the Congress is finished with the Budget and getting more people back to work you will have the Mid Term Congressional Elections, the House and the Senate are not going to commit political suicide to make President Obama feel happy. Thus Health Care Reform will gather dust somewhere, of course the liberal leadership in Congress could be mad, they could try to push health care reform, but the cost would be the loss of Congress and the Republicans in control, neither the White House or the Democrats on the Hill want that outcome, thus the reform is dead for this year, the Obama White House has to stress jobs, jobs and jobs for the next eight months if they want to keep Congress.

Caprica

Guardian: Reports on the prequel to BSG, Caprica. Folks if you love good drama that makes you think then watch Caprica, yes if your a fan you know how it ends, but that does not matter, it has an excellent cast and the scripts are great. In many respects its human technology a few years ahead, if you have seen Avatar in the cinema we might not be that far from having a virtual world as seen in Caprica. Thank the Gods for Carpica and Mad Men, and Dr Who next year, the world is not that bad after all, SO SAY WE ALL.

Playing for TIME - Iran

BBC News: Reports President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has offered to carry on with its nuclear deal with the IAEA. This is bull folks, the Tehran Regime is playing for time, it wants to cause divisions within the UN Security Council, start endless talks and then announce to the world that it has the bomb. The Obama Administration should carry on with its plan for tough sanctions against Iran, otherwise Iran will use the time for endless talks and then the Middle East will have to deal with a nuclear armed Iran. Also lets recall President Ahmadinejad needs the bomb to keep his government in power, the internal pressures can only be thwarted if Iran is in a direct and indirect confrontation with the USA. The USA does not need to play this game with Iran, make the Tehran regime hurt, place tough and heavy sanctions on the regime.

Another 9/11 ?

The Hill: Reports that the US Intelligence Agencies believe that Al Qaeda will try another another terrorists attempt in months. Lets hope the CIA is on its top game, the next time it might not be a lone terrorist on a plane but a dirty bomb in New York or Washington D.C, or a nuclear device that takes out an American city or in Europe. The terrorists only have to get lucky once, thus lets hope the CIA and MI6 are connecting the dots and taking out terrorists by what ever means, at the end of the day the first duty of government is to protect its people, not the rights of the terrorists.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the names of the soldiers killed of late in Afghanistan, the soldiers were " Corporal Liam Riley and Lance Corporal Graham Shaw from 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (3 YORKS) " Our thoughts are with the families of these heroic soldiers.

The Role of a Reporter

The Times: A thought provoking article folks on the role of a reporter in war and natural disasters. Its interesting folks, if your a blogger and you find yourself at a news event, are you a citizen or a citizen reporter/blogger. If your see a car crash do you think about those hurt or do you get your mobile out and take a picture and send it to your blog or twitter page. Also recall placing a copyright sign by the picture. This article made me think, God forbid that I find myself in a terrorists incident or natural disaster, do I see who is hurt and look after them or do start to blog, sending updates to my blog and to twitter. I will be honest folks, this blog is my testament in many ways, I get my mobile out and start to take pictures and add commentary, also looking to sell any pictures to the local or national papers. The blogger is the modern reporter, if we are constant bloggers we should act like Independent reporters, that means you report. There will be others that are appalled, I am appalled but that is life. This blog will always be honest with its kind readers. Read of the Day.